Audiology Learning Experience: The Perfect Introduction to the Profession

Ava Rarick wants to become an audiologist because she believes it’s a profession with continually emerging new technologies. To help solidify her career choice, Rarick decided to attend the Audiology Learning Experience (ALE) on Aug. 2, 2024, at the Osborne Audiology, Salus at Drexel University’s Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, campus. 

“I have always been interested in healthcare and the opportunity to help people regain their hearing and improve their quality of life, and combining this with continuous innovation to achieve better results is extremely appealing to me,” said Rarick. 

ALE is both academic and career-related. The daylong program offers participants the opportunity to investigate the academic study associated with the Doctor of Audiology degree program at Osborne Audiology, as well as the profession of audiology and its many career options. 

Rarick, originally from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, is going into her sophomore year at the University of Delaware, where she is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science with a specialization in pre-professional speech-language pathology (SLP) and audiology. 

She was particularly impressed with Salus/Drexel’s Pennsylvania Ear Institute (PEI), the on-site clinical facility for Osborne Audiology, where she had the opportunity to go inside the audiology booths where hearing evaluations are conducted during her ALE experience. That provided her, she said, with real-world exposure to the clinical setting of the profession.  

Rarick was also able to tour the Vestibular Lab and listen while current students explained the equipment used in the labs.  

“Considering that I am still early in my path to becoming an audiologist, ALE was the perfect introduction to the profession of audiology as a whole and the various areas of specialization I may also explore in the future,” said Rarick. “Additionally, ALE provided me with important tips and recommendations for admissions applications, as I plan on attending graduate school once I complete my undergraduate degree.” 

Radhika Aravamudhan, PhD, EdD, dean of Osborne Audiology, said the ALE is one of her favorite events. “I get to see these amazing undecided students anywhere in the continuum, from freshmen to seniors. And, we love to tell them how amazing audiology is,” she said. “We always get a great turnout every year. We easily have 70 percent of the students come back and apply to the program.”